ORBIT SCORE
A score as a system of mutual attractions.
- Engine
- Discrete events and probabilities
- Working environment
- Format: standalone / MIDI
- Studio build
- A standalone sequencer for studio setups. MIDI maps and rules for cycle interaction are saved with the project.
Musical objective.
Cycles of different lengths meet on a shared time grid. Probability rules introduce variation. Saved settings, seed, and initial state allow the sequence to be repeated in the same software version.
Capabilities.
- Independent cycle lengths and phases
- Conditions for playing and skipping notes
- MIDI sequence export
Signal path.
Engineering trade-off.
The orbital view shows how the cycles align. Their lengths, phases, and probability rules are set by the composer.
From studio practice.
Works with events; it does not synthesize sound or control actuator current itself.
ORBIT SCORE takes its name from independent cycles that periodically coincide. Its first counterpart was TESSERA: the mechanism makes the distinction between a musical event and a physically permissible strike very clear. Composition begins with the distance between events, rather than maximum density.
How the method works
Each cycle has a length, a step, and conditions for an event to occur. The seed determines a sequence of pseudorandom decisions. A synchronized start and a single clock source make the pattern repeatable. MIDI velocity conveys performance intensity; TESSERA’s local controller converts it according to its own calibration and may reject commands that arrive too frequently.
One working approach.
Build two sparse cycles on different TESSERA voices.
Fix the settings and seed; listen through several rotations, noting where the cycles align.
Leave gaps for a hand-played part; export MIDI along with the tempo and start point.
What is saved with the project
Cycles, rules, seed, tempo, start position, and channel assignments are saved. A TESSERA project also records its voice map and permitted command density. Events can trigger scenes in an external spatial mixer; ORBIT SCORE does not process the audio itself.